HOMEBREW Digest #225 Fri 11 August 1989

FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
Rob Gardner, Digest Coordinator
Contents:Re: Ginger beer (dw)re: newsletter illustrations (Darryl Richman)Finnish Brew (Tom Hotchkiss)Bisulphite in canner (florianb)Canadian entry (mhalley)Ginger beerTREACLE - How do I prime with it? (Mike Fertsch)Ginger Beers (Lance "Turtle" Smith)sodium metabisulfite (iwtio!korz)Brew Book List / comment on Glyserine / Yeast Query (LLUG_JI)Helpful Hints on Making Beer (Dr. T. Andrews)
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Date: 10 Aug 89 08:01:43 EDT (Thursday)
From: dw <Wegeng.Henr at Xerox.COM>
Subject: Re: Ginger beer
It seems to me that Ginger would be better in a lighter beer than a darker
beer. This is because a strong malt flavor might overshadow the ginger
(depending on how much ginger you use, of course). I've always used it in
beers made from a can of light extract and a couple pounds of honey
(definitely a light beer!).
/Don
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Date: Thu, 10 Aug 89 07:01:02 PDT
From: Darryl Richman <darryl at ism780c.isc.com>
Subject: re: newsletter illustrations
From: "1107-CD&I/VIRUS DISEASES" <henchal at wrair-emh1.army.mil>
"I am a new editor for the BURP NEWS, the monthly newsletter for the
"Brewers United for Real Potables (Washington DC Metro area).
Congratulations! I'm going to be the newsletter editor for the Falcons.
"I am looking for art work or illustrations related to brewing to
"incorporate into the newsletter. If anyone has any computer
"generated or scanned pictures can you please contact me. These can
"be in just about any format (.MAC, .GIF, .PIK, .SIT, etc).
Absolutely. I need whatever is available as well. Erik, I have drawn
a few beer glasses, but other than that, I haven't got anything either.
If you want some of my crude drawings, I'd be happy to binhex them and
send them across. Please let me know of any sources you come upon.
Papazian once mentioned the idea of the AHA supplying clip art to nl
editors, but nothing has come of it. It came up recently on Compu$erve,
but I never saw Charlie respond to it. I've also asked a couple of
the editors of Zymurgy, but no response there, either...
advTHANKSance!
--Darryl Richman
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Date: Thu, 10 Aug 89 8:52:55 MDT
From: Tom Hotchkiss <trh at hpestrh>
Subject: Finnish Brew
In digest #224, Gary Benson asks about some low alcohol brew from Finland.
He states that the brew is "rather dry with no aftertaste," and wants to
duplicate it in the US. He concentrates on where to get the appropriate
yeast. It seems to me that if you end up with a "rather dry" beer, then
you must have fermented out most or all of the sugar. If the result is also
low alcohol then it seems to me that the original gravity must be quite low.
So, I'll guess that the malt extract is either low in sugar, or the recipie
is such that the extract is diluted more than for a regular beer. This is
just a guess and the other possibility that comes to mind is some sort of
yeast that eats sugar without producing alcohol (what's the point), although
I have never heard of such a beast...
Also, nancyb asks about sulfite in her canning kettle. I don't have any ideas
for fixing your problem, but there is an obvious way to prevent it (please
excuse me if you already know this, but I am known as a "master of the
obvious"). You don't need to sanitize your boiling kettle, so just use
something else to hold the sulfite. Food grade plastic buckets work nicely.
Tom Hotchkiss
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Date: 10 Aug 89 08:11:37 PDT (Thu)
From: florianb at tekred.cna.tek.com
Subject: Bisulphite in canner
In #224, Nancy Ball asks:
>For several batches of brew, I have used my large, enamelled canning
>pot for sterilizing with sodium metabisulfite. Now that it is
>canning time, I find that I cannot get all the residue out of that
>pot. Even though it has been scrubbed with great vigor and boiled
Try boiling a solution of one cup white vinegar in five gallons of
water. Don't breath the vapors that are released.
Yes, let this be a lesson. It isn't necessary or even useful to use
sodium metabisulphite to sanitize beer brewing equipment. That practice
is apparently a carry-over from fruit and wine processing. Instead, use
a solution of tri-chlor or plain chlorine bleach as prescribed by the
better modern beer brewing books.
[Florian Bell, Boonesborough, Oregon]
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Date: Thu, 10 Aug 89 12:32:00 EDT
From: mhalley at leif.mun.ca
Subject: Canadian entry
When I moved here, I brought some few bottles of home-
made products (all meads and wines) with me. A certain
amount (I can';t remember how much) was duty-free.
Beyond that point, I had to pay duty on my own stuff.
Other than that, there did not seem to be any problem.
I suggest making contact with either Revenue Canada or
your Canadian friend, who can do similarly, and asking
the question from the people who know. It may be that
I was ripped off, simply because the border guys had
never had the problem before. It may also be that it's
a no-no and I somehow got away with it. Who knows?
Give it a crack, anyhoo.
--Ye Olde Batte
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Date: Thu, 10 Aug 89 08:27 CDT
From: "What do you mean, what flavor is it? It's a bloody albatross!"
Subject: Ginger beer
Greetings, home-brewers:
I looked up Vagabond Ginger beer in Papiazan a couple of nights ago (I'm
still a little fuzzy on the name) and his recipe calls for dark extract. I
guess that the ginger in this recipe is supposed to be a hint (I don't recall
how much ginger he uses, though -- mornings are never my strong point :-)).
Is honey interchangeable with corn sugar pound for pound?
- Ted
---
Patrick T. Garvin
ptgarvin at aardvark.ucs.uoknor.edu / ptgarvin at uokmax.UUCP
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Date: Thu, 10 Aug 89 13:22 EDT
From: Mike Fertsch <FERTSCH at adc1.RAY.COM>
Subject: TREACLE - How do I prime with it?
This weekend, I am planning on brewing up an Old Ale. One of my favourite
commercial Old Ales is Old Peculier, made by Theakston's in England. I
found a recipe for an Old Peculier look-alike in Dave Line's book, "Brewing
Beers Like Those You Buy". He calls for several 'unusual' ingredients - the
ingredient list for 5 Imperial gallons is:
4# dark malt extract 8oz. roast barley 8oz. crystal malt
2# dark brown sugar 2oz. Fuggles hops 5 sacharin tablets
He primes with 3 oz. Black treacle.
I will not use sacharin in my beer. Instead, I may add brewer's licorice
or lactose for sweetness. The amount of fermentables seems low; I may add
a pound or two of light extract to increase the gravity to the mid-fifties.
Other than that, I will follow the recipe.
What is treacle? My dictionary says that treacle is the British word for
'molasses'. If I prime with molasses, is 3 oz. (by weight) the REALLY the
right amount? I suspect that different brands of molasses have different
amounts of fermentable sugars, giving different carbonation levels.
Does anyone have experience with priming with molasses? What is the
correct amount? I plan on using Grandma's molasses, from the grocery
store. I also have Demarara (sp?) sugar in my cupboard; what is it, and
can I substitute this for either the brown sugar or the molasses?
Mike Fertsch
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Date: Thu, 10 Aug 89 14:05:18 CDT
From: Lance "Turtle" Smith <lsmith at umn-cs.cs.umn.edu>
Subject: Ginger Beers
I haven't tried honey in my beers (I have enough trouble getting the malt
extract into kettle) but I have tried a few ginger spiced. My approach is
to keep the ginger low so that the first thing a person tastes isn't the
ginger. I have tried recipes with more ginger that turned out fine, but
I don't want to drink two cases of the stuff.
Anyway, I'd suggest against using ginger with either the Old Ale or
the Scottish Ale. M & F Old Ale is one of the best kits around (one
of the few that can be made without the full hour boil) and it's very
heavily hopped. I think the hops would really overpower the ginger. If
you have the Geordie Scottish Ale kit, I think the same arguments apply.
If I remember correctly it too is well hopped. (BTW Charlie has a Best
of the Kits recipe that uses Geordies Scottish Ale. Summer of 1987
issue of Zymurgy.)
Light or Dark beer. That really depends on what you're after. I think the
mixture of a dark beer maltiness and ginger goes together well. However, if
you're looking for more of a Ginger Beer (the nonalcoholic kind that inspired
ginger ale (?)) you'd probably be happier with a lighter beer (with a good
dose of crystal malt) and a higher amount of ginger.
Vagabond Black Beer (name varies a little in CJoH and original Zymurgy recipe)
is a really good recipe to start with if you like dark beers. I like to
replace the M&F Dark Extract with John Bull Dark Extract. The John Bull extract
seems to have a roast barley taste the M&F doesn't. I also replace the
sugar and light extract with a little less dark extract. The end result
is close to a stout, but somewhat lighter in mouth feel. Very dark. Even the
foam is dark brown. Again I aim towards the low end of the ginger scale with
this recipe.
Cheers -- Lance Smith (lsmith at umn-cs.cs.umn.edu)
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Date: Thu, 10 Aug 89 16:15:38 mdt
From: att!iwtio!korz at hplabs.HP.COM
Subject: sodium metabisulfite
>For several batches of brew, I have used my large, enamelled canning
>pot for sterilizing with sodium metabisulfite.
This I don't understand. Why are you using sodium metabisulfite
for beer? It is not recommended (by Papazian and others) because
it imparts an undesirable flavor to the beer.
>Now that it is
>canning time, I find that I cannot get all the residue out of that
>pot. Even though it has been scrubbed with great vigor and boiled
>with plain water several times, jars that are boiled in this pot
>will always have a coating of the sodium metabisulfite. A great
>batch of grape butter might be endangered from this.
Doubtful. I'm not a chemist (I don't even play one on TV), but
my guess is that your residue is lime and not sodium metabisulfite.
Even if it is, if it doesn't scrub or boil off, it isn't coating
your jars. Secondly, I don't see any harm in the outsides of the
jars being coated with anything (except for toxic waste).
Relax, don't worry, have a grape butter sandwich and a homebrew.
Al.
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Date: Thu, 10 Aug 89 12:38 EDT
From: <LLUG_JI%DENISON.BITNET at CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Brew Book List / comment on Glyserine / Yeast Query
I just installed the summer edition of "Books In Print" which is
a CD-ROM product, naturally I tested it with a search on brewing...
here is the result.
(I did ask, the copyright person here said I could post this to the
network if I included the following)
Copyright (c) 1987,1988 R. R. BOWKER, All rights reserved.
Love, Ed & Powell, J. Peterson. Brewery & Beer Trademarks.
Official U. S. Government Records Staff, illustrator.
(Illus.). 92p. 03/1989. $9.95 GBC bound. (ISBN
0-945821-09-3). Villa Publishing Syndicate.
La Hausse, Paul. Brewers, Beerhalls, & Boycotts: A History of
Liquor in South Africa. (History Workshop Topic Ser.: No. 2).
(Illus.). 67p. 12/1988. Paperback text edition. $9.95x. (ISBN
0-86975-332-0, Ravan Pr). Ohio University Press.
Miller, David G. The Complete Handbook of Home Brewing. Clarkson,
Sarah M., editor. LC 87-46447. 256p. 09/1988. $19.95. (ISBN
0-88266-522-7, Garden Way Pub); Paper. $9.95. (ISBN
0-88266-517-0, Garden Way Pub). Storey Communications,
Incorporated.
Haiber, William. The Great Beer Safari. Haiber, Mona W.,
illustrator. (Illus.). 100p. (Orig.). 09/1988. Paperback text
edition. $9.95. (ISBN 0-944089-01-1). Info Devels,
Incorporated.
Shanken, Marvin R. The Impact American Beer Market Review &
Forecast, 1988 Ed. (Illus.). 80p. 10/1988. Paper. $395.00.
(ISBN 0-918076-61-7). Shanken, M., Communications,
Incorporated.
Priest, F. G. & Campbell, I., editors. Brewing Microbiology. 278p.
08/1987. $77.50. (ISBN 1-85166-062-3, Elsevier Applied Sci
England). Elsevier Science Publishing Company, Incorporated.
Pollock, J. R., editor. Brewing Science, Vol. 3. (Food Science &
Technology Ser.). 611p. 06/1987. $161.00. (ISBN
0-12-561003-3). Academic Press, Incorporated.
Erickson, Jack. Star Spangled Beer: A Guide to America's New
Microbreweries & Brewpubs. (Illus.). 156p. (Orig.). 09/1987.
Paper. $13.95. (ISBN 0-941397-00-9). Redbrick Press.
The American Beer Market: Past Performance, Current Trends &
Strategies for the Future. 265p. 07/1986. $750.00. (ISBN
0-317-55182-5). Business Trend Analysts.
Burch, Byron. Brewing Quality Beers: The Home Brewer's Essential
Guidebook. (Orig.). 07/1986. Paper. $3.95. (ISBN
0-9604284-1-0). Joby Books.
Ghobadian, A. The Effects of New Technological Change on Shift
Work in the Brewing Industry. 190p. 01/1986. Hardcover text
edition. $42.50. (ISBN 0-566-05132-X, Gower England). Gower
Publishing Company a.
Hough, James S. Biotechnology of Malting & Brewing. LC 84-14313.
(Cambridge Studies in Biotechnology 1). (Illus.). 168p.
09/1985. $42.50. (ISBN 0-521-25672-0). Cambridge University
Press.
Peaty, Ian P. Brewery Railways: An Historical Survey. (Illus.).
96p. 07/1985. $24.95. (ISBN 0-7153-8605-0). David & Charles,
Incorporated.
Papazian, Charlie. The Complete Joy of Home Brewing. (Illus.).
352p. (Orig.). 09/1984. Paper. $8.95. (ISBN 0-380-88369-4).
Avon Books.
Mares, William. Making Beer. Danziger, Jeff, illustrator. LC
83-48868. (Illus.). 04/1984. Paper. $9.95. (ISBN
0-394-72328-7). Knopf, Alfred A., Incorporated.
European Brewery Convention Staff. Elsevier's Dictionary of
Brewing. 264p. 03/1983. $113.25. (ISBN 0-444-42131-9).
Elsevier Science Publishing Company, Incorporated.
Hunter, Beatrice T. Brewer's Yeast, Wheat Germ, Lecithin & Other
High Power Foods. (Good Health Guide Ser.). 07/1982. Paper.
$1.95. (ISBN 0-87983-278-9). Keats Publishing, Incorporated.
Hough, J. S. Malting & Brewing Science, Vol. 1. 2nd ed. 300p.
08/1982. $47.00x. (ISBN 0-412-16580-5, NO. 6550, Chapman &
Hall). Vol. 2, 1983; $65.00x. (ISBN 0-412-16590-2, NO. 6511).
Set; $95.00x. (NO. 6877). Routledge, Chapman & Hall,
Incorporated.
Reese, M. R. Better Beer & How to Brew It. LC 81-7003. (Illus.).
128p. 11/1981. Paper. $7.95. (ISBN 0-88266-257-0, Garden Way
Pub). Storey Communications, Incorporated.
Beadle, Leigh P. The You Brew It Yourself: The Complete Guide to
Home Brewing. 99p. 1981. $5.95. Farrar, Straus & Giroux,
Incorporated.
Keddie, James & Cleghorn, William. Brewing in Developing
Countries. 200p. 09/1980. Paper. $11.50x. (ISBN
0-7073-0250-1, Scot Acad Pr). Longwood Publishing Group,
Incorporated.
Downard, William L. Dictionary of the History of the American
Brewing & Distilling Industries. LC 79-6826. (Illus.). xxv,
268p. 11/1980. Library binding - adult. $55.00. (ISBN
0-313-21330-5, DOD/). Greenwood Press, Incorporated.
Hawkins, K. H. & Pass, C. L. The Brewing Industry. 1979. Hardcover
text edition. $37.00x o.p. (ISBN 0-435-84399-0); Paperback
text edition. $11.95x. (ISBN 0-435-84400-8). Gower Publishing
Company a.
Pollock, J. R., editor. Brewing Science, Vol. 1. (Food Science &
Technology Ser.). 12/1979. $137.00. (ISBN 0-12-561001-7).
Academic Press, Incorporated.
Orton, Vrest. The Homemade Beer Book. LC 72-89742. (Illus.).
02/01/1973. Paper. $4.95. (ISBN 0-8048-1086-9). Tuttle,
Charles E., Company, Incorporated.
Salem, Frederick W. Beer, Its History & Its Economic Value As a
National Beverage. LC 72-5072. (Technology & Society Ser.).
(Illus.). 292p. 12/29/1972. Repr. of 1880 ed. $19.00. (ISBN
0-405-04722-3). Ayer Company Publishers, Incorporated.
Baron, Stanley W. Brewed in America: A History of Beer & Ale in
the United States. LC 72-5030. (Technology & Society Ser.).
(Illus.). 424p. 12/29/1972. Repr. of 1962 ed. $33.00. (ISBN
0-405-04683-9). Ayer Company Publishers, Incorporated.
Anderson, Stanley F. & Hull, Raymond. Art of Making Beer. rev. ed.
10/13/1971. Paper. $5.95. (ISBN 0-8015-0380-9, Hawthorn).
Dutton, E. P.
Schluter, Hermann. The Brewing Industry & the Brewery Workers'
Movement in America. LC 70-143653. (Research & Source Works
Ser.: No. 611). 03/1971. Repr. of 1910 ed. Library binding -
adult. $20.50. (ISBN 0-685-03285-X). Franklin, Burt,
Publisher.
Steele, Ashbel. Chief of the Pilgrims: Or, the Life & Time of
William Brewster. facs. ed. LC 72-133535. (Select
Bibliographies Reprint Ser). (Illus.). 1857. $23.50. (ISBN
0-8369-5567-6). Ayer Company Publishers, Incorporated.
Brew Vocabulari Catala-Castella-Angles de Comerc Exterior. (Span.,
Catalan & Eng.). 43p. $12.95. (S-37580). French & European
Publications, Incorporated.
Rosenblum, Martin J., editor. Brewing: Twenty Milwaukee Poets.
Frwd. by Rosenblum, Martin J. LC 72-89435. $6.95. (ISBN
0-89018-008-3); $6.00x soft. (ISBN 0-89018-007-5). Pentagram
Press.
Modern Brewery Age Bluebook. $135.00. (ISBN 0-686-31373-9).
Business Journals.
============ END OF BOOK LIST ============
also RE: Freeze Shield
I have been purchasing USP glyserin at my local pharmacy (behind the counter)
for about $6.25 a pint (430 somthing milliters), this seems to work fine and is
less expensive than reagent grade stuff at chemical supply stores, I autoclave
the stuff in a glass bottle prior to use (15 lbs for 15 min.). If they don't
stock it (most have smaller bottles) usually a pharmacist will order it for
you.
Question on Wyeast lab yeasts.
I had always liked the way Edme dry ale yeast worked, I started it in warm
water and added some wort to that during the boil, it smelled very nice, and I
have not had any contamination problems. Since I switched to Wyeast, I've
noticed that the package (both lager and ale) smells kinda funky when its
opened. I usually start the pack, transfer it to a yeast culture flask
(all totally sterile) and the resultant ferment still has the same smell.
I further notice the smell in the blow off gasses from the ferment, but by the
time I bottle and open to drink the stuff it has dropped off.
1. Could it be the yeast strains Wyeast is using? (or some lab process?)
2. Is this true of other brands of lab yeast?
3. Has anyone else noticed this?
I may try to do a single cell isolation of the Edme yeast and get a pure strain
of it going. Any comments?
John L. Isenhour LLUG_JI at DENISON.BITNET
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Date: Thu, 10 Aug 89 21:59:06 EDT
From: Dr. T. Andrews <ki4pv!tanner at bikini.cis.ufl.edu>
Subject: Helpful Hints on Making Beer
I would strongly advise you to NOT break your foot on Sunday, if your
schedule calls for racking the stuff on Monday. It is not practical
to muscle around a carboy (empty, much less full of beer!) if you are
on crutches.
This past week-end, I was finally able to walk usefully without the
crutches, though moving a carboy full of beer seemed out of the
question. I racked (primary fermentation to secondary was the
original plan) into a second plastic bucket. The stuff should still
be quite fine.
(to be) Really Incredible Ale may be made by mashing together all of
5-7# pale malt
3# crystal malt
2# wheat
and, at boiling time, adding
2 oz northern brewer (1 1/2 hour, the entire boil period)
1 oz halertau (1/2 hour)
1/2 oz cascades (the first harvest from my hops vines, 15 mins)
Started on Saturday, foot broken on Sunday. Not transferred to
secondary ferment, therefore, until Saturday -- a week in primary!
More reports later. I think that it'll be good stuff; the wheat
helps to make a beer very suitable to the warm climate. This has
been a hot summer; it has topped 100 (measured in the shade at the
back of the house) several times.
Amusingly enough, the summer intern doesn't care to drink alcohol.
No problem, of course \(em I am happy to take up any slack.
--
...!bikini.cis.ufl.edu!ki4pv!tanner ...!bpa!cdin-1!ki4pv!tanner
or... {allegra attctc gatech!uflorida uunet!cdin-1}!ki4pv!tanner
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End of HOMEBREW Digest #225, 08/11/89